Carlo Ancelotti says his place is at Real Madrid not Manchester United after he became one of the key contenders to succeed David Moyes.

The Italian is reportedly at the top of United's shortlist of candidates alongside Netherlands Louis van Gaal with his future at the Bernabeu in doubt after tension arose between him and the club's president, Florentino Perez.

But with two years left on Ancelotti's Real contract, those close to him are said to have warned that only a disastrous end to the season is likely to see him sacked.

The former Chelsea manager told Marca: "I'm very happy at Real Madrid at the moment and I'm privileged to work for the biggest club in the world. I have a lot of respect for United and I didn't like what happened to Moyes, but my place is here."

Ancelotti, whose side have a one-goal advantage over Bayern Munich after the first leg of their Champions League semi final, is seen as a safe pair of hands to guide United back to the level they were at before Moyes succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson last summer.

His successful managerial career, in which he has won the Premier League, FA Cup, Serie A and twice won the Champions League, has shown that he is happy to accommodate figures already in situ, which would count in his favour with interim manager Ryan Giggs a potential assistant.

He has made it clear he will try to reintroduce United's traditional attacking style, an approach Ancelotti has proved he is comfortable with at other clubs. The Real manager also has a reasonable record in bringing through young players, too, and has had a good relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson.

Ray Wilkins, who played for United and worked under Ancelotti at Chelsea, has been pressing the claims of Ancelotti.

"United will go for an experienced manager," Wilkins claimed. "David Moyes was the right man last year after his time at Everton, but the name that jumps out at me is Ancelotti.

"The Copa del Rey is not enough for Real Madrid, so if he doesn't win La Liga or the Champions League, he may become available. He speaks English, knows the Premier League and I think he would be ideal."

Ancelotti's stance on the United job would not rule him out of the running but he is still the third top manager to have distanced himself from the job after Juergen Klopp and Pep Guardiola.

Van Gaal's availability this summer - he will be a free agent after the World Cup - may make him a more attractive option for United's owners, the Glazer family. However, he is due to start preparing the Holland team for Brazil at a training camp from May 7, a comitment which suggests there is little time for United to seal a deal if they do not want to wait until late summer.

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